There are so many unexplored corners on our planet where nature presents unexpected gifts, captivates and impresses! And if you just think about the fact that almost 90% of the reservoirs have not been investigated at all, it becomes even a little scary. What is the azure depths fraught with? For example, Lake Nicaragua?
"Sweet Sea"
Locals are used to the proximity of their lake and have not thought about its secrets for a long time. They call it the "sweet sea." I wonder why? Because of the sweetness of fresh water? Or the vastness of its edges? The population of Granada calls the reservoir a lake of Granada, but the rest of the planet knows only Lake Nicaragua, or Lago de Nicaragua. It is one of the largest bodies of water in the world and the only source of fresh water in all of Latin America. The dimensions are impressive, the view is beautiful, but the unusual inhabitants make you nervous. Only here you can see sea creatures, despite the fact that this is a lake. Scientists believe that the presence in the lake of ichthyofauna clearly proves the fact that previously Nicaragua was part of the Pacific Gulf. Why has everything changed?
After the eruption of volcanoes
It turns out that the reservoir was previously open, but tectonic changes and numerous eruptions of volcanoes provoked the flow of lava into the strait. So, part of the ocean separated and turned into an inland reservoir, fencing residents from the outside world. Slowly but surely, freshwater currents replaced the sea water, but sea inhabitants cannot be evicted so easily. Gradually they had to adapt to the new conditions. Among such opportunists were sharks. By the way, the existence of the latter has not yet been practically proved, since their adaptation to fresh water is very doubtful. Some doubt that sharks are found in Lake Nicaragua, citing the fact that accidentally encountered marine predators come here from the ocean, leaving behind a distance of 200 km and traveling along the San Juan River. Then there is another question - what attracts sharks here?
A riddle for all time
The freshwater shark of Lake Nicaragua haunts scientists around the world with its habitat, but the Indians can give an answer to this question. They believe that sharks “laid a path” into the lake many centuries ago, and the ancient ritual became the reason for betraying the dead to water. The bodies sailed into the ocean and became the prey of predators. So, sharks are accustomed to the taste of human meat and did not want to give up such a "diet." Now they do not feel fear when swimming in shallow water, where it is easier to attack the victims. The problem became more complicated every year, which led to the introduction of extreme measures to destroy toothy fish.
Paradise for a tourist
Lake Nicaragua has long been the promised land for tourists. And they are not even afraid of the threat of being bitten. Adults and even children boldly climb into the water, however, in compliance with certain safety measures. For example, you should not be distracted and forget about the threat. You can not bathe with an open wound or during menstruation. In a word, if you are tempted by the opportunity to dive into Nicaragua (lake), sharks will not become a serious obstacle. Tourists come to the town of Granada, which is located next to the pond. This is an amazingly atmospheric place that attracts walks and adventures. By the way, the walk will not be tiring, because the town is very small. In the central park you can try the famous Nicaraguan dish Vigoron, and carriages with excursions go to the lake. The trip will take no more than twenty minutes. Lake Nicaragua beckons with its magic. It is one of the twenty largest lakes in the world.
Educational tour
If you come to Lake Nicaragua with a large company, it is advantageous to rent a separate boat for an hour or more. The rental price is symbolic - only 13 dollars, but you have to bargain, because at first the price is unacceptably overstated. The islands near Granada were bought by the local rich. These are mainly summer residences, since the islands are simply tiny and are unlikely to accommodate more than one house. It turns out that one island is one villa. Some of them can be rented for the weekend, and for a large company or several families. The amount is also very nice - $ 300 per house for the weekend. On some lands there are many monkeys. They are almost not afraid of people, but they do not pay much attention either - only 3-4 individuals come to feed. In general, walks on the islands are informative and interesting. There are unusual and bright, similar to paradise birds, which slowly and importantly walk on the ground, sweeping it with their tails.
And now it's time to pay attention directly to Lake Nicaragua.
Description of the reservoir: its charms and beauty
A beautiful picture - a water surface, resembling a mirror. It has amazingly clean air and the largest reserves of fresh water in Latin America. The maximum depth of the lake reaches 70 meters, and the area here is almost 8600 square meters. By the way, here is the border with Costa Rica. The lake is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River, and fresh water flows from many rivers and streams. The deepest is the Tipitapa River, which flows from Lake Managua. Scientists believe that the reservoir appeared on the site of the ancient Pacific Gulf. Now the bay has transformed, but the connection with the past remains. It manifests itself in the unique inhabitants of the reservoir, which are called sharks of Nicaragua. Nowhere else to find such ones, because this individual is close relatives of the gray bull shark.
Scary visions
A truly shocking sight can be the legendary bull shark. Without even seeing her, but only hearing the stories, you can give free rein to your imagination. And this type also differs in simplicity of adaptation to desalinated water and can hide for a long time in river estuaries. The size of such a "toothy" is simply indecent, and the danger to humans is serious. They say that they are not the indigenous inhabitants of the lake, but swam here and could not swim after the eruption of volcanoes. Many scholars actively object to this position, saying that a bull shark can jump over the rapids of San Juan, like salmon. To prove their assumptions, they cite the presence of this type of shark in the open ocean. It was even found that sharks traveling from a lake to the sea and back could take anywhere from a week to 11 days. Lake Nicaragua can be so scary, and a bull shark is found quite often in it, according to the stories of local residents.
